411’s UFC Fight Night 106 Report 3.11.17

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night 106. I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the duration of this event. This is actually a really solid Fight Night card, a lot of relevant fights that could impact key players but nothing that feels like it should be featured highly on a PPV event. The main event is a battle for relevance as Vitor Belfort tries to turn back the clock and avoid a three fight losing streak while Kelvin Gastelum is trying to remain unbeaten at middleweight and possibly advance to fight a relevant contender next. Also former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua tries to keep the light heavyweight caste system in place against Gian Villante, and Edson Barboza takes on Beneil Dariush for the right to stay in line at lightweight while the top of the division sorts itself out. This event is held at a very new venue that was designed for the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Centro de Formacao Olimpica de Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil. Brian Stann and Jon Anik are on the mic tonight. Also, just to add confusion, Brazil has not adopted the new rules for MMA but the judges will be using the new scoring language so there might be more 10-8’s.

Gareth McLellan is a paltry 1-3 in the UFC and on a two fight losing streak, he desperately needs a win here to keep his job as hitting the dreaded three fight skid will almost certainly result in his dismissal from the company. Paulo “Borrachinha” Costa is undefeated as a professional and making his UFC debut here, and while McLellan isn’t a major name you only get one chance to make a first impression. Costa is the favorite against the +225 on McLellan but they don’t actually show the odds on air.

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height with identical reaches, biggest difference is age where McLellan is nine years older. McLellan fighting southpaw, Costa lands a body kick. McLellan lands a bit of a left but Costa is backing him into the fence and lands a right and they clinch. Costa lands a right as they break, McLellan has a bit of a cut on the forehead. Kicks traded but McLellan is still getting backed up. Costa lands a flurry of punches, McLellan lands a bit of a left. Costa lands a body kick and a flurry of punches, McLellan drops from a left and a brief flurry on the mat prompts the stoppage.

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Costa for his work this evening. Costa on the mic now. He says a lot of people warned him about jitters but he didn’t feel them then asks the crowd if he deserves a bonus, they seem to agree but there’s a lot of fighting still to come. He talks about training for a southpaw, which was a first for him, then closes in Portuguese that went untranslated. There’s a bit of downtime, so here’s the finishing sequence if you missed it.

There are apparently some technical difficulties going on in the arena, mostly lighting related from what I can see and it’s delaying the start of the next bout. Might also explain a few of the issues with the broadcast overlay.

Rony “Jason” Bezerra is on a bit of a rough stretch as he hasn’t officially won since March of 2014 and is coming off of a loss to Dennis Bermudez. Bezerra needs a win here as another loss could get him cut despite his status as a TUF: Brazil winner. Jeremy Kennedy is unbeaten as a professional including a successful UFC debut when he defeated Alessandro Ricci, Bezerra represents a step up in name value and if he can defeat the Brazilian in Brazil he could easily be in line for a bigger opportunity next time. The odds here are with Kennedy at -135 to the +105 on Bezerra..

ROUND ONE: Kennedy has four inches of height but just one of reach on Bezerra. Touch of gloves to get us going. Both men circling a little and probing with jabs and range finding kicks. Kennedy lands a counter left after mostly slipping a right. Kennedy has a head kick blocked. Kennedy lands a body kick then a jab. Bezerra lands a jab to the body but misses some follow ups. Bezerra lands a right hook but was way off balance and couldn’t capitazlie. Bezerra lands a bit of a jumping knee, Kennedy drops but I think that was more balance than impact. Bezerra on top in half guard while Kennedy is trying to wall walk. Kennedy up and spins Bezerra into the cage. Bezerra tries a trip, can’t complete it though and Kennedy hits an outside trip. Kennedy into the ride position and lands some blows, Bezerra up and Kennedy takes him down again. Kennedy in half guard landing lefts while Bezerra tries to get to his knees. Bezerra up but Kennedy still has a hold of him and lands a knee to the head, then another. Kennedy trips Bezerra back down and this time Bezerra has his guard. Kennedy lands an elbow. Another couple of elbows and punches from Kennedy. Kennedy lands more blows as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Kennedy

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Kennedy lands a bit of a jab, both men circling. Kennedy misses a combination. Bezerra lands a bit of an inside leg kick as Kennedy misses a punch. Bezerra lands a glancing punch. They trade, Bezerra lands a jumping knee and Kennedy clinches for dear life as he falls to his back. Kennedy has full guard now. Kennedy trying to control Bezerra, Bezerra trying to pass but can’t just yet. They’re trading some small shots. The ref finally stands them up, even the crowd approves and their man was on top. The reset on the feet. Kennedy moving forward now, Bezerra circling and blocks a head kick. Kennedy tries an inside leg kick, and that one hits the groin. That sounded pretty gnarly, Bezerra will have up to five minutes to recover. Bezerra is able to walk it off and we’re back to fighting, Kennedy apologizes for the errant strike. They just circle away the final fifteen seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bezerra, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the final round. Both men jabbing early, Kennedy hits a double leg. Bezerra trying to wall walk but Kennedy is pinning him to the fence. Bezerra back up but Kennedy still has him clinched and drops for another takedown. Bezerra is able to spin free. Kennedy ducks a jab and hits a double leg in the middle of the cage. Kennedy lands some rights to the body and head. They trade some elbows. Kennedy is landing the better blows, he lands a couple of hard right elbows. Bezerra trying for a gogoplata, switches to an omo plata but can’t finish or use it to sweep and Kennedy has the back and lands some rights from the ride position. Bezerra trying to wall walk, back up but he can’t break free and Kennedy trips him down. Bezerra back up and this time he can push free and separate. Kennedy tries a double leg, when Bezerra sprawls Kennedy spins to his back and starts landing punches from the ride position. Bezerra up, and slammed back down. Kennedy lands some rights and holds the back as the clock expires.

Not sure which round was 10-8, even in the third Bezerra was still active enough to avoid that distinction. Kennedy on the mic now. He says the plan was to wear out Bezerra, says he didn’t expect Bezerra to sit on his punches as much and he had to adjust. Asked about the knee in the second he says he actually forgot that happened, so it clearly dinged him. He mentions that he recovered quickly and adjusted his shots to be higher on the chest so as to avoid that in the rest of the fight. He’s happy with the win but isn’t satisfied and he feels better than this in the gym and he plans on getting better. He talks a bit about going from fighting in his own backyard to his opponents backyard and closes saying he’s got a lot to work on but he’s excited by the prospect and excited for his next fight. That does it for Fight Pass, to Fox Sports 1 now.

Michel Prazeres has only lost once since dropping to lightweight and is currently riding a three fight winning streak, if he can extend that to four he’ll be in line for a bigger name including a possible top fifteen opponent in the stacked lightweight division. Josh Burkman has really struggled in his return to the UFC, he’s had only one win in six fights and is 1-4 in his last five and is on a two fight losing streak. Burkman will almost certainly be cut with another loss and needs a win to remain with the promotion. Prazeres is a heavy favorite at -270 to the +210 for Burkman.

ROUND ONE: Burkman has four inches of height and four and a half of reach on Prazeres. Brukman fighting southpaw, and they touch gloves. Burkman will switch his stance frequently. Burkman lands a thrust kick to the thigh, Prazeres swarms him with punches and Burkman holds a single but Prazeres is ragdolling him and lands a series of punches from the ride position. Burkman back up but he’s getting mugged. Burkman can’t stay upright and Prazeres spins him down then lands in half guard. Prazeres passes to side control and tries to set up a north-south choke. Prazeres has the arm around the neck and spins to north-south, he cranks just a bit and Burkman has to tap. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a north-south finish, probably since Ellenberger over Koscheck.

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Prazeres for his work this evening. Prazeres will get an interview after that one. He’s grateful to have gotten his first UFC finish here. Stann notes Burkman just retired in the cage off camera, Prazeres puts Burkman over as a tough fighter and he wishes Burkman well in his retirement. Asked who he’d like next he ignores the question and thanks his family, friends, the fans, and his home town. Also I’ve found out that is just the fourth north-south choke finish in UFC history, Prazeres joins the ranks of Rani Yahya, Jake Ellenberger, and Jeff Monson as the only fighters to finish that choke in the UFC.

Rani Yahya has one of the better UFC records at 8-2 with 1 No Contest and he’s never lost at bantamweight, he’s also riding a four fight winning streak and recently cracked the top fifteen rankings. Yahya is trying to protect that spot and prove he’s ready to step up in competition as he moves towards title contention. Joe Soto is on a two fight winning streak, his first in the UFC, and is trying to return to the rankings by unseating the highly respected Yahya en route towards a second title shot. The odds are with Yahya to the tune of -225 to the +135 on Soto.

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height but Yahya has two inches of reach on Soto. Circling to start, Yahya is moving himself towards the fence probably trying to lure Soto in. Yahya misses a couple of punches then lands a body kick. Yahya moving forward with strikes now, lands a decent combination. Yahya lands a bit of a right. Soto lands a counter right that drops Yahya but Yahya is back up immediately, that punch landed but balance played a big role in Yahya dropping. Soto lands a left. Yahya lands a stepping knee to the head. Yahya’s offense is very linear, Soto should be looking to angle and counter. Yahya is southpaw now and lands a bit of a body kick. Yahya lands a head kick. Soto pressuring forward now, Yahya lands a leg kick. Yahya lands a body kick then a couple of punches. Yahya lands an inside leg kick. Yahya tries a takedown but misjudges the distance and fails. Soto blocks a combination. Soto pressuring Yahya and they both miss power hand punches. Yahya lands a jab then a right. Yahya has a head kick blocked. Yahya tries a single leg after Soto misses some punches, Soto trying for a guillotine. Yahya breaks that quickly and passes to half guard. Nothing will come of the top control before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-10 DRAW given that Yahya got dropped but won basically the entire round apart from that

ROUND TWO: Soto moving well so far this round, Yahya lands a left to the body. Yahya lands a leg kick. Soto avoids an uppercut and lands a counter right. They exchange and we get a confusing time call from the ref, there’s a massive bloody gash on the forehead of Soto but they were mid scramble when that happened. That thing is bleeding badly on the hairline above the left temple. Replay shows that was from a headbutt, the doctor says Soto is good to continue and we rest on the feet. Soto lands a right in close but Yahya is firing back. Yahya lands a body kick then Soto sprawls out of a couple of takedown attempts and Soto gets Yahya’s back but Yahya spins through and Soto has to escape back to his feet. Yahya lands a one two combination. Yahya lands a body kick. Soto avoids a takedown attempt. Yayha lands a body kick then tries a single leg, Soto threatens with a guillotine to force them to break. Yahya lands a combination and a head kick. They trade a bit in close and Yahya lands a body kick. Yahya lands a right after a failed clinch attempt. Soto lands a right, he tries for a guillotine when Yahya slips, Soto on top and disengages. Yahya is clearly a little more fatiuged. They trade some more and Soto avoids a diving takedown attempt. Soto lands a right. Soto lands a left to the body. Soto misses a left hook, Yahya misses a spinning back fist. Yahya tries for a double leg, Soto avoids it. They trade in the pocket again, Yahya tries to pull guard but Soto passes to side control and then gets to mount and lands some punches. Soto to side control as the clock runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Soto, 20-19 Soto overall

ROUND THREE: Yahya is visibly gassed. Soto pushing with a jab and they both miss hooks in close. They trade body kicks. Yayha misses on a bad single leg attempt, Soto on top in north-south that turns into a front headlock, Yahya rolls to his back again and Soto is in side control. Yahya to his knees, Soto in the ride position. Soto lands some rights. Yahya to a hip, Soto in a loose half guard now. Soto to side control again and lands a few short elbows. Soto to a front headlock as Yahya is on his knees, Soto to the ride position. Soto spinning towards the back but can’t get it. Yahya trying to set up a roll but Soto reads it and moves to safety and lands rights to the body and head from the ride position. Yahya tries to roll again, Soto rides him and keeps the position. Soto to north-south again, Yahya is just rolling from his back to his knees hoping for something but Soto is giving him nothing. Soto into side control and lands elbows then passes to full mount. Soto tries for an armbar but Yahya rolls through and is on top but Soto immediately scrambles back to his feet. They trade and Soto is sucking wind now. Soto blocks a head kick. Yahya lands a combination in close, Soto catches a knee and gets a takedown. Soto just rides out the final ten seconds in mount.

Can see Yahya taking the first, again my draw was mostly about getting dropped and I’m not sure he did enough to totally overcome that. Soto on the mic now. He says Yahya did a great job mixing up his strikes and that he knew Yahya was going to try and shoot on him so he was calculated with his offense so he didn’t get counter shot on. He puts over Yahya as a tough guy and thanks him for pushing him to be better. Soto is grateful to have had a full training camp for this fight and says he does this to feed his family then expresses his love to them.

Brief correction on Josh Burkman, he hasn’t retired but says he knew his UFC run was over and plans to ends his career in his native Utah.

Sergio Moraes hasn’t lost at welterweight in the UFC yet, the lone blemish is a split draw, and hasn’t lost since 2012. Moraes is trying to crack the top fifteen, or at least put himself in the discussion, and remain unbeaten at welterweight here to earn a step up in competition next. Davi Ramos is making his UFC debut here in place of Max Griffin who pulled out of this fight on March 2. Ramos has only lost to Dave Rickles and brings a two fight winning streak into his debut, a win over the proven commodity that is Moraes would be a huge statement to the rest of the division. The odds favor Moraes at -205 to the +165 on Davos.

ROUND ONE: Moraes has six inches of height and two of reach on Ramos who normally competes at lightweight. Touch of gloves to get things going. Ramos deciding on southpaw but seems to be switching frequently. Ramos lands a bit of a right. Moraes circling, lands an overhand right. Ramos lands a bit of a leg kick. Moraes lands a body kick. Moraes lands a right but eats a couple of counters. Ramos lands a bit of a knee attack. Moraes lands a front kick to the body. Moraes misses a right and eats a couple of counters. Ramos is waiting to counter rather than fight to close the distance on his own. Ramos avoids a right and Moraes blocks the counters. Ramos lands a leg kick. They both miss and clinch briefly then disengage. Ramos with another glancing leg kick. They trade rights, Moraes aware of Ramos’ plan to counter and is trying to work around it. Ramos just misses an overhand right. They both miss rights. Moraes lands a bit of a front kick to the body. Ramos has some hooks blocked then Moraes misses a knee.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Ramos but could easily go either way

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves for the second round. Moraes lands a calf kick. Ramos is backing Moraes towards the fence, Moraes circling. Both guys pawing with punches, not a whole lot on them. Moraes jabs the body. Ramos misses a hook. Ramos pushes forward and lands a leg kick then a right. Moraes lands a bit of a body kick. Ramos lands a heavy right to the body that drops Moraes for a second. Ramos lands a left hook after eating a right. They both miss front kicks. Ramos lands a jab to the body. Moraes lands a leg kick. Moraes lands a left. They trade in close, both men landed lefts. Ramos avoids a right and misses a spinning back kick. Moraes lands a straight right. They trade lefts in close again. Ramos avoids a knee and lands a hook to the body. Ramos tries a double leg, Moraes sprawls easily as Ramos was way on the outside. Moraes lands a bit of a straight right as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Ramos but again could go either way, 20-18 Ramos overall

ROUND THREE: Moraes stalking forward, lands a bit of a straight right. Ramos lands a jab. Moraes lands a front kick to the body. Moraes lands a jab. They trade lefts and Ramos just misses a right. Moraes lands a long right. Ramos pushes forward, backs Moraes into the fence but he doesn’t follow up. Ramos lands a bit of a spinning back kick to the body. Moraes lands a right then a left hook. Ramos lands a stiff jab. Ramos tries a knee tap takedown, Moraes stays upright. Moraes lands a jab. Ramos pushes forward and lands some hooks to the body before Moraes circles off of the fence. Moraes lands a straight right. Ramos just misses a counter right then lands a leg kick. Moraes lands a front kick to the body. They get close and trade a bit as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Moraes, 29-28 Ramos overall but who knows where this one will land

30-27 seems wrong to me, I thought Ramos had the first at a minimum. No interview for Moraes.

Francisco Trinaldo has one of the more impressive winning streaks going at lightweight right now at seven and is on the verge of cracking the top ten rankings. Trinaldo could easily insert himself into the discussion at the top of the division with an eighth consecutive win tonight. Kevin Lee has been in top form recently and brings a three fight winning streak into the cage, Lee is trying to earn his first top ranking by taking out the surging Trinaldo and prove he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. The odds are close but favor Lee at -190 against the +155 on Trinaldo.

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height but Lee has a whopping seven inches of reach on Trinaldo. Trinaldo is also fourteen years older than Lee. Trinaldo fighting southpaw. Feinting from both men to start, Trinaldo blocks a high kick. Lee bouncing around and probing the defense of Trinaldo. Lee lands a body kick. Trinaldo lands an overhand left. Lee tries a double leg but Trinaldo blocks that easily. Lee shoots again but can’t finish it and Trinaldo has him on the fence then they break as Lee misses an elbow. They trade jabs. Lee hits a double leg after ducking a punch and lands in the guard of Trinaldo. Trinaldo trying to move his hips, Lee keeping correct posture. Lee lands a couple of elbows. Lee passes to half guard but Trinaldo tries to stand while Lee holds a cradle position. Trinaldo to the fence and wall walks while Lee looks to take him down again. Trinaldo has a ninja choke attempt, there’s no chest pressure though and that’s pretty important to finishing that technique. Lee gets his head free and lands an uppercut from the clinch then a knee to the chest as they break. Trinaldo lands a left that wobbles Lee, Lee shoots a single leg to buy tim and gets Trinaldo on the fence. Trinaldo eats a knee to the body and they break. Lee lands a right then a left uppercut. Trinaldo lands a left. Trinaldo lands an elbow after Lee fails on a double leg attempt. Trinaldo lands a hard right to the body, Lee fails on a double leg and Trinaldo is landing elbows from the front headlock position. Lee tries to push forward, can’t and winds up just back on his feet. Lee lands a knee to the body. Lee pushes into the clinch again and has Trinaldo on the fence. Trinaldo spins him and lands an elbow as they break. They split jabs as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Trinaldo

ROUND TWO: Both men still bouncing and looking for angles. Trinaldo blocks a high kick. Lee misses a high kick and eats a bit of a left then Trinaldo lands a body kick. Lee lands a glancing head kick. Lee lands a right and avoids a couple of counters. Lee lands a body kick and avoids the counters. Lee lands another straight right. Trinaldo misses a left and a couple of follow ups. Lee tries a double leg, Trinaldo sprawls pretty easily and pushes Lee into the cage then lands a knee to the body before they break. Lee lands a straight right then a high kick that wobbles Trinaldo. Trinaldo tries to take him down but Lee reverses and lands in full mount. Lee lands some rights. Lee gets the back now and gets a body triangle. Lee after the choke, he’s across the jaw but has a squeeze going that forces the tap from Trinaldo.

Big win for Lee to halt the momentum of Trinaldo, he should be top fifteen bound after that one. Lee on the mic now. He thanks Brazil for the love, which they’ve been showing him for the two weeks he’s been out here despite the booing. He puts over Trinaldo’s striking game and recent streak and says his game plan was to take him down and work there. He says the crowd got to him a bit and in the second he knew he had to kick a bit more with him to set up his wrestling. He puts over Trinaldo again as he talks us through the finish and says he’s one of the best in the world at control from top position. Asked who he wants next he says he wants Khabib Nurmagomedov but just wants to fight in Detroit and wants to get the UFC to that city as both Brazil and Detroit are cities of wolves. He again calls out Nurmagomedov to close his mic time. To kill the rest of the hour we go to the studio and will be back on Fox Sports 1 at the top of the hour for the main card.

Up next is a rematch, these two fought to a No Contest at UFC 207 when Means landed two illegal knees that caused the fight to be stopped. Alex Oliveira has moved between lightweight and welterweight but seems to have settled in at welterweight, in fact his only loss at welterweight was to Donald Cerrone, and he’s trying to recapture some momentum that was halted by that No Contest and prove himself a player in the division. Tim Means has only lost at welterweight to Neil Magny and Matt Brown and had a two fight winning streak halted by that No Contest with Oliveira. Means is trying to get his own momentum back on track against Oliveira and earn another crack at a top fighter. Means is the favorite at -185 against +150 for Oliveira.

ROUND ONE: Means is three inches taller but the reach is with Oliveira by an inch and a half. Means fighting southpaw, and he starts backing Oliveira towards the fence. Oliveira lands a couple of body kicks and a bit of a right. Means avoids a right and lands a left then they clinch up. Oliveira has Means on the fence and is looking for a takedown. Oliveira elevates Means with a body lock and gets him down, landing in his guard. Means thinks about spinning for an armbar, decides against it. Means moves to butterfly guard, he elevates Oliveira but can’t get out from under him. Means after the arm again, Oliveira pushes him into the fence. Means back up, Oliveira hits him a couple of times on the way up and keeps him in the clinch. Means blocks a double leg attempt and spins Oliveira into the cage. More jockeying for position and Oliveira hits a takedown from the back but can’t secure position and he’s holding the rear waist lock while Means is back up. Oliveira drags him back down to his knees and takes the ride position. Means back up and Oliveira suplexes him again but again Means is back up. Oliveira tries a trip but Means reverses and lands on top in side control. Means lands a few short elbows. Oliveira trying to spin out of this position but Means controls him well. Means to knee on belly and lands a few blows. Means lands an elbow, Oliveira gets to guard as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Means but could go either way

ROUND TWO: Oliveira landed an illegal up kick after the round ended and got a big warning from the ref between rounds. They touch gloves for the second round. Means ducks a wheel kick and tries a single leg, he gets Oliveira to the fence but Oliveira uses a front head lock to block that and drive Means into the fence. Oliveira drops for a single leg, Means lands some elbows while blocking and now Means is after the double leg. Oliveira blocks it and spins Means but Oliveira is breathing pretty heavy. Oliveira lands a knee to the body then hits the double leg into the guard of Means. Means rolls, Oliveira gets the ride position and lands a right before Means is back up while Oliveira holds the rear waist lock. Oliveira trips Means down to the mat and he looks to take the back. Oliveira has both hooks in now and is after the choke. Oliveira switches to a body lock and rolls through to get the choke and Means has to tap out.

Solid performance from Oliveira, who’s on the mic now. He says he’s grateful to get the chance to show his potential after their first fight ended so quickly, he’s happy to have won the first rematch of his career and puts over Fortaleza as a city. He says that when he debuted in the UFC he said no one would get him out the promotion and now at welterweight he’s going to keep that going. Oliveira puts over his coaches and the fans to close out his interview.

Bethe Correia just broke a two fight losing streak with a win over Jessica Eye, tonight she’s trying to defend her top ten ranking and move towards another shot at the bantamweight title. Marion Reneau just broke a two fight losing streak as well by stopping Milana Dudieva and is looking to break into the top ten with a win here. The odds are a pick ’em at -115 for each woman.

ROUND ONE: Reneau is an inch taller and has four inches of reach on Correia. Reneau opens with a body kick, Correia catches it and lands a leg kick. Reneau lands a jab. Reneau working thrust kicks to the thigh. Reneau lands a bit of a jab. Reneau lands a leg kick. They both land short blows in close. Reneau lands a bit of a left high kick. Reneau lands a hard left body kick. Another left body kick from Reneau lands but they clinch off of it and Correia gets Reneau on the fence. They jockey for position then break without incident. They trade jabs. They both miss then they clinch and Reneau lands a couple of knees to the body. More knees from Reneau. Reneau spins free and misses a couple of punches. Reneau lands a stiff jab. Correia lands a leg kick. Correia lands a bit of a right. Reneau lands a left body kick, then they trade rights and Correia lands a bit of a left. Reneau lands a three punch combination then a body kick as Correia retreats. They clinch and Correia gets a trip into half guard but Reneau immediately to full guard. Reneau lands elbows as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Reneau

ROUND TWO: They come out landing jabs and Correia lands a leg kick. Reneau lands a right as she avoids a clinch attempt then a body kick. They clinch up again and Correia has Reneau on the fence. Reneau breaks free without incident. Reneau lands a jab and they both miss follow up punches. Reneau lands a jab but Correia lands a right. Reneau is slowing down, they both land rights then Correia lands a left hook. Correia lands a right but misses the follow up blows. Correia lands a short uppercut in close. Correia lands a leg kick. They both land rights and clinch then Correia exits with a left. Reneau lands a jab. Correia lands a body to head combination of punches. Correia misses a spinning back fist. Reneau lands a right then a thrust kick to the knee. They clinch again and break with a right from Reneau. Reneau lands a right uppercut. Reneau lands a left kick but Correia catches it and spins her down landing in her guard. Correia just holding on in guard. Reneau lands some elbows. Reneau tries a triangle choke, Correia is able to pull free and is still in the guard. Correia lands some elbows to the body. They trade more blows here as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Correia, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Reneau lands a left kick and eats a counter left. Reneau rocks Correia with a head kick, she lands a knee to the head and is trying to flurry. Correia tries to tie up but Reneau avoids it then sprawls out of a single leg attempt. Reneau landing blows while she’s sprawling. Elbows from Reneau, Correia desperately trying to finish this takedown but Reneau pushes her over into half guard and lands some elbows. Reneau looking to pass, and is full mount then lands a right. Reneau lands a flurry of punches. More punches and elbows, Correia rolling and tries to reverse but Reneau winds up on top again. Reneau in half guard and lands elbows. Reneau tries to pass again, Correia back up on that motion but can’t finish the single and Reneau is back in side control. Reneau lands some rights. Reneau to the back, both hooks in and Reneau is after the choke. Reneau using punches to try and expose the neck. Correia to her knees, Reneau riding her and still with punches and choke attempts. Reneau to the body triangle. Correia just hand fighting and hoping for the end of the round at this point. Reneau with one more flurry as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Reneau, 29-27 Reneau overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Majority DRAW (29-27 Reneau, 28-28 x2)

I sincerely disagree with that, Correia’s only meaningful moment in round 1 was a takedown with something like thirty seconds left and she did nothing with it while Reneau was much more effective on the feet.

Jussier Formiga has lost a few key fights that have kept him from actually fighting for the flyweight title but he’s been consistent in the UFC overall and is coming off of a win over Dustin Ortiz. With the top of the division a little hard up for fighters Demetrious Johnson hasn’t already beaten if Formiga can win again here he could position himself for a title shot. Ray Borg is trying to crack the top five with a win here, he’s coming off of a tremendous performance that was marred by his missing weight. Much like Formiga, if Borg can string a couple of wins together and make weight consistently he could also insert himself into the title picture. Borg is the -135 favorite against the +105 for the higher ranked Formiga.

ROUND ONE: Formiga is an inch taller and has four inches of reach on Borg. Touch of gloves to get things going. Formiga misses a right. Borg lands a bit of a jab. Formiga lands a leg kick. They clinch up after missing hooks, Borg lands a knee to the body and they break. Formiga lands a right as they clinch again, they trade knees to the body and disengage. Borg lands a heavy uppercut and they clinch again. Borg lands a knee to the body. Another knee from Borg, Formiga returns one and they break. Formiga lands an inside leg kick. Borg lands a jab and just misses a couple of follow up blows. Formiga tries an inside leg kick that hits the groin of Borg. They touch gloves once Borg walks it off. Borg moving forward, they clinch up again and trade body shots as Formiga gets Borg on the fence. Borg lands a knee to the head, Formiga lands a knee to the body. Body shots go back and forth and they break. They both miss some punches. Borg lands an uppercut then a couple of knees to the body in close. They both miss blows again, the defense is pretty solid for both men thus far. Formiga misses a spinning back fist. They both land rights, clinch and break with a right from Borg. They trade body kicks. Formiga lands a right in close. Formiga tries a double leg that Borg easily stuffs. Formiga lands a spinning back fist and they brawl a bit at the end of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Formiga but could go to Borg

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second. Borg tries a takedown quickly, he gets Formiga on the fence and is after a single leg. Borg switches to a double, Formiga blocks it and spins Borg into the cage. Borg lands a knee to the body and they break. Borg lands that right uppercut again. Lefts go back and forth. Formiga lands an inside leg kick. Borg lands a bit of a jumping knee, mostly landed to the chest. Borg tries a double leg, elevates Formiga but Formiga keeps his balance and Borg pushes him into the fence and is after another double leg. Borg switches to a single leg but he can’t quite finish it. Borg settles for the clinch, drops for another single leg but it stalls out and the ref separates them. They trade and then Formiga misses on a double leg. Borg lands a knee to the body in close. Formiga lands a leg kick. Borg lands a one two. Borg lands a left hook in close. Formiga lands an inside leg kick. Another leg kick from Formiga, Borg returns it and lands a spinning back fist as well. Borg misses a single leg attempt. Formiga lands another leg kick. Borg lands a right and tries a single leg, Formiga avoids it without issue. They circle away the final seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Borg, 19-9 overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the last round. Borg on a quick takedown attempt, he can’t finish it and Formiga gets him in the cage. Formiga trips Borg down and we get an insane scramble sequence and Borg has the clinch after it all ends. Worth noting that Formiga grabbed the fence pretty blatantly there. Borg holding a single leg attempt on the fence, Formiga able to hit a switch and get on top. Formiga slickly takes the back and has the body triangle as well. Borg trying to turn in and defend the choke attempts from Formiga. Borg tries to explode and gets on top in the guard of Formiga. Borg lands an elbow. Borg lands another elbow. More elbows from Borg. Formiga is bleeding now, Borg lands another couple of elbows. Borg with more elbows, Formiga tries an armbar but gives up the back in the process and Borg is after the choke. Borg moves to mounting a hip, briefly gets full mount before Formiga gets half guard. Borg lands a couple of more elbows. Borg reaches for a Japanese necktie as time expires.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Borg, 29-28 Borg overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ray Borg via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Big big win for Borg. Borg on the mic now. He says this was the most exciting performance but it’s hot as hell in that arena and puts over Formiga as one of the best in the world. He says he knows the people don’t like him but he likes them and says Brazil is beautiful. Asked who he wants next he says he’s got stuff to work on back in camp but he’s coming for either DJ or Wilson, the winner of the upcoming title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Wilson Reis.

Edson Barboza has been one of the most dynamic and exciting fighters in the lightweight division, lately he seems to have added consistency to that. Barboza is coming off wins over former champions Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez while his last loss was to top contender Tony Ferguson. With a win here Barboza should be in title, or at least interim title, discussion despite the confusion at the top of the division. Beneil Dariush is a very consistent fighter, going 7-2 in the UFC and is currently riding a two fight winning streak as well. Dariush could take a big step up in the rankings if he can halt the momentum of Barboza here and enter himself into the discussion of fighters at the top of the division. Barboza’s level of competition and destructive capability have given him a slight -155 edge in the odds while Dariush would pay out at +125.

ROUND ONE: Barboza is an inch taller and has three inches of reach on Dariush. Touch of gloves, Dariush fighting southpaw. Dariush opens up with a high kick. Barboza lands a jab then a front kick to the body, Dariush responds with an inside leg kick. They trade serious leather in close, neither man getting paid by the hour here. Dariush lands a body kick. Barboza lands a right to the body, Dariush responds with a body kick. Barboza avoids a jab. Dariush lands a right uppercut in close. Dariush coming forwar and lands a left, they trade in close again and Barboza circles out of the pocket. Barboza lands a head kick. Barboza’s jab is starting to work, Dariush wings a left to the body. Dariush lands a knee to the body and they clinch then break without incident. Barboza avoids a body kick. Dariush lands a rear leg kick, then another. Barboza slips an uppercut and lands a left. They both land power hand punches. Dariush lands a left to the body, the clinch and Dariush lands a knee to the body and they break. Dariush lands an inside leg kick. Barboza lands a jab. Dariush lands a body kick then a bit of a left. Dariush with a lunging knee to the body. Dariush is timing his offense every time Barboza stops circling. Barboza lands a body kick then avoids a takedown attempt. Dariush lands a looping left. Dariush lands another body kick. Dariush lands a heavy inside leg kick, Barboza returns it. They both miss a few punches and Barboza circles off of the fence to the center. Barboza avoids a couple of punches but he’s struggling to get his offense off consistently. Barboza lands a body kick. Dariush lands a glancing head kick. Dariush lands a spinning back fist just before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Dariush

ROUND TWO: Touch of gloves for the second round. Dariush lands a jab, Barboza lands a combination and Dariush lands a body kick. Barboza lands a hard body kick and they trade punches. This is a pretty awesome fight so far. Dariush pressuring Barboza again, misses a head kick. Barboza lands a body kick and eats a counter left. Dariush lands a glancing spinning back fist. Dariush lands a jab and tries a single leg but Barboza fights to get his leg back and they separate. Dariush lands a bit of a left. Dariush lands a left to the body. Dariush lands anothe rear leg kick, Barboza lands an inside leg kick. Barboza lands another inside leg kick. Dariush lands a left, they trade a bit in close after that. Dariush lands a jab. Barboza lands an inside leg kick. Barboza checks an inside leg kick, they trade in close and Dariush took a low blow during that somewhere so he’s got time to recover. Yeah, replay shows an errant punch went into his groin. Dariush back to fighting quickly and has a head kick blocked. Dariush lands a heavy knee to the body. These two are abusing each other to the body. Dariush jabs and enters for a takedown but Barboza times a beautiful jumping knee that lands and Dariush is OUT.

Good grief, that was awesome. Dariush had a great game plan and was executing well, then the better athlete timed a perfect counter and BOOM. . . lightweights. Barboza on the mic now. He thanks Christ first and foremost and says the first round was difficult but he knew Dariush would put his head down for a takedown and he just needed to get the timing down. He talks us through the finish saying he knew every jab was with a step forward and he could counter like that even if Dariush kept his head up. Asked who he wants next he says he wants a title shot as he’s had three wins. Pity the belt is so far out of commission we can’t even get an interim title fight going. Here’s the finish again, lovely timing and execution.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is a former UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the best light heavyweights in the history of the sport, but he’s also 35 years old and while he’s on a two fight winning streak that last win was a somewhat Clucky influenced decision. Rua may never return to championship form, but light heavyweight is starved for talent and he might re-enter that discussion just by virtue of past accomplishment if he can get to three in a row here. Gian Villante has traded wins and losses while going 2-2 in his last four fights, despite that he’s ranked in the top fifteen because light heavyweight is in such an awkward place right now, and he is coming off of a win over Saparbek Safarov. Rua represents the biggest name, and possibly the best fighter, Villante has faced and if he can get his first UFC winning streak since 2015 going at his expense he could move into the top ten and earn a bigger opportunity for his next fight. Rua is a slight favorite at -160 to the +130 on Villante.

ROUND ONE: Villante is two inches taller but the reach is identical. Touch of gloves to get us going. They both land rights but Rua follows up with a flush left hook. Villante lands a leg kick but gets off balanced though Rua can’t get on top. They trade rights and Villante lands a left. They trade in close, a Rua right drops Villante to a knee for a moment. Rua digs a couple of body hooks. Villante lands a leg kick. Villante lands a right uppercut and a left hook Rua is backing up. They get close and trade for a second then Villante clinches. Error on his part there, Rua lands a knee to the body and they break. Rua lands a right, neither man has defense this is just who lands first. Rua lands another right. Rua lands the overhand right again. Villante blocks a couple of hooks. Rights are traded again. Villante avoids an overhand right. Rua dodges a right as well. Rights traded then Rua lands a follow up left. Rua drops Villante to a knee with a right, Villante back up. Rua lands to the body then an overhand right. Villante just misses a right. Villante lands a jab. Rua lands a right to the body. They trade a few jabs. Rua lands a left hook, has a combination mostly blocked just before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rua

ROUND TWO: We’re back to plodding from both men. They both miss rights and then trade left hooks. Rua working inside leg kicks. Rua lands a jab, he’s had success with that. Rua lands a bit of a right then Villante misses a head kick. Villante checks a leg kick. Rua lands a jab, eats a bit of a right. They trade rights. They trade rights again. Rua lands a hard right to counter a leg kick. Rua lands a bit of a one two combination. Villante lands a short left hook. Rua lands the overhand right again. They trade again and land lefts, Rua might have been stunned but recovered. Villante grabs a single leg but can’t get position and Rua is up from a knee quickly and at distance. Rua lands an overhand right. Rua gets close and pushes Villante over then lands a left as Villante regains his feet. Rua again with the right. Villante misses a left then a right. Rua lands a flush right that Villante just eats. They circle away the last ten seconds or so.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rua, 20-18 Rua overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the final round. Rua lands a jab and checks a leg kick. Villante lands a bit of a left hook after Rua missed a right. Rua lands a body kick. They trade jabs again, Rua lands a hard counter right that stuns Villante and Rua flurries on him. Rua backs him into the fence with a head kick and then flurries on him again showing just a brief spark of who he used to be as a fighter, and the ref has to save Villante as he sinks to his seat against the fence.

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Rua for his work this evening. That was Rua’s first TKO win since 2013. Rua gets an interview now. He thanks God first and foremost for the courage to get up and do his best every time. He says he takes every fight as a dream and he’s grateful for all of the dreams he’s had over his career. He says he was worried about the takedowns so he fought calculated and got the finish. Asked what it means to him to win in Brazil he’s happy to be in Brazil because he’s close to his family and friends but will fight whereve the UFC wants. He thanks the city and crowd to close the interview. Here’s the finishing sequence, a glimpse into what Rua was in his prime. Tremendous killer instinct and swarming ability.

Vitor Belfort is a former UFC light heavyweight champion but has clearly hit the downside of his career, his last two wins were over Dan Henderson and he’s been stopped in his last three losses by Chris Weidman, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and Gegard Mousasi. Belfort is also on a two fight losing streak, he’s fighting for relevance here as a three fight skid would firmly entrench him in the camp of “has been”. Kelvin Gastelum seems to be sticking around at middleweight after failing to make the welterweight limit on two occasions and having a fight canceled due to weight cutting complications. Gastelum hasn’t lost at middleweight and is coming off of a win over Tim Kennedy as well as riding a two fight winning streak, if he can beat Belfort he’ll move further into the top ten rankings and could even enter himself into title contention, assuming Bisping ever defends that belt against a deserving contender. Gastelum’s recent run has given him the edge over the aging Belfort by a significant -360 to the +270 payout for a Belfort win.

ROUND ONE: Belfort has three inches of height and two and a half of reach on Gastelum. Gastelum is fourteen years younger though, for whatever that’s worth. Both men are southpaws. Gastelum moving forward early, Belfort circling and backing up. Belfort lands a body kick. Gastelum still pressing forward, intelligent pressure. Belfort lands a wheel kick to the body. Gastelum lands a jab. They trade in close, both just miss with wicked hooks. Gastelum fighting smart, he seems content to make Belfort work and then come on later. Belfort lands a counter left after slipping a one two. Belfort lands a body kick. Belfort misses a jumping knee, Gastelum lands a left. Gastelum lands a jab. Gastelum starting to increase the pace just a bit now. They both miss lefts, Belfort lands a glancing wheel kick but Gastelum follows up with a bunch of long lefts, one drops Belfort and Belfort tries to get guard but Gastelum passes to half guard and lands a hard series of blows. Belfort wall walks and separates. Belfort lands a combination but Gastelum seems to just eat it. Gastelum lands a couple of jabs. Belfort is still a tad wobbly, he’s not all there in his eyes. Gastelum lands a hard combination and Belfor falls again, this time the ref saves Belfort from further abuse.

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Gastelum for his work this evening. Gastelum on the mic now. He tries to speak Portuguese, he actually gets the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to someone, his mother actually who’s celebration he missed due to training for this fight. Stann asks about him possibly moving back to welterweight, Gastelum has been vocal about that. Gastelum says he wants a fight with Anderson Silva in Rio. I’d rather he fought a legit contender not a quasi over the hill guy. He says he’s confident in his skills to finish anyone in the division.

Stann over to Belfort now, asks him what’s next for him. He says Gastelum was the better fighter and he has just one fight left on his contract and he hopes to have that one in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. Sounds like he’s setting up his retirement fight. He says that despite not getting the result he wanted he plans to hold his head up high.

Here’s the finish one more time, look at how Belfort’s feet freeze up when Gastelum gets in range, he can’t move to avoid those punches or change the range and Gastelum uses the basic one two combination to end him.

That does it for UFC Fight Night 106, probably the best card of the year so far and certainly one of the best Fight Night’s in recent memory. Thank you all for reading along. I’ll be back next Saturday for Fight Night 107: Manuwa vs. Anderson. That’s another card that isn’t too bad on paper, especially for a Fight Pass exclusive. We’ll be reviewing this event and previewing that one this Sunday at 8pm eastern standard time on the 411 Ground and Pound Radio Show which takes live callers at (323) 657-0901 if you’ve got a question or comment you’d like on the air. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead tonight, assuming you don’t live in one of the sane states that has abandoned the archaic practice of daylight saving. I hope you’ll all be back next week, until then keep checking 411mania for all your pop culture needs.